The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-01
CONGRESSMAN BILL MARTIN.
The Texan Statesman's Appearance in
Washington.


Washington cor. New York Graphic.
The Hon. William H. Martin, of Texas, was
hauled by the heels out of his room in Wizards
Hotel yesterday morning He had gone to bed
very late in the night, and not being accus-
toned to modern appliances for turning off the
gas he simply blew it out and was nearly suffo-
Gated when the servants burst in the door and
dragged him out, The honorable Bill Martin is
a character. He was elected last summer to
succeed Judge Jonn H. Reagan in the House of
Representatives. Bill has lived all his life in the
pine woods of Henderson county, Texas. He
never saw gas burner in his nelghborhood
Pine knots and tallow dips are good enough for
within fifty miles of where his ramshackle cabin
sits on stills. There are ten big counties in
the Congressional district. When the
everyo of them had candidate,
and all the aspirants were invited to address
the delegates When Bill Martin stood up and
swung his arms around he gathered in the piney
woodsmen at the first word His manner ana
his gestures were never learned from books OF
elocution. His competitors were well dressed
men, some Of them with better reputation FOR
statesmans p Bill had come in on his mule
from Henderson county, He had his pants in
his boots. He wore butternut shirt and his
hands were big enough to cover wide ex-
panse of territory Bill told the boys how he
had been brought up to raise cotton, white
pine sticks, chew tobacco and hunt razor back
hogs of the Texas persuasion. He said he was
no statesman, but he wanted the offce ana
wanted it bad, and above all things he thought
there ought to Ue one genuine home made Texan
IN Washington, Then the convention howled-
but they hOwied louder and longer when Bill
shouted out that when he went to Washington
he would be the same old Henderson County
Bill Martin as before and would go in the same
clothes that he then wore, They turned right
round, and after emptying the other candidates
out Of the convention they nominated Bill, and
he was elected by big majority.
Nothing has been heard Of him, until few
days ago, since last summer, week ago he
appeared at the little railroad station in Pales-
tine in his old piney wood toggery, and started
for the national capital He had never ridden
twenty miles on a railroad in his life before.
He carried no gripsack, for he had nothing to
put IN one. He made speech before he left,
and said that il Congress did not like his ways
and clothes they could "be darned, for old Bill
Martin never would change
The other Texas members in Washington had
taken measures to capture Bill. Congressman
Grain, FROM the Galveston district, and Roger
o. Mills, from Waco watched for him at Balti
more and coralled him. Bill fought hard
against their suggestions, but finally consented
to have his hair cut. They kept him in Bal
timore three days and got his pants out of his
boots. On Thanks living day they brought him
new suit Of store clothes and emptied his but
ternut coverings into the cellar That night
they brought him to this city, and after warn
ing him against the wiles and dangers of the
places put him in his room at Wizards and
thought he was safe. Then the Hon. Mr.. Mar
TIN blew out the gas.
When he had recovered consciousness and
was himself again he made solemn oath that no
such death trap should catch him again, and
early this morning he left the hotel to find
place of rest where only candles are burned.
And the dainty Mr.. Grain and the well-dressed
Mills are hard after him. for old Bill Martin has
only commenced the sensations he will create
in Washington. When he left the hotel to seek
another boarding place he forgot his coat, and
went in his shirt-seeyes. And the other Texas
members want to laSSo tim.